Chapter 46

           Bartley's pov

  Hours spent with my lawyers sorting through everything was tiring, they all came up with the same conclusion and so did the lawyers who will be representing Righteous and Quefer. Straight-dut was right and even though I did not want to do as he was telling us to do in order to get our names cleared, I still had to be prepared. He was being pressured in more ways than one and he was ready to take lives to ensure his safety.

  It must be hard having to always be dealing with the law and I dreaded to have to be pushed around by them also. I did not want to subject Adajay and Adalan to any danger so I might as well just do the time and set things straight since I will not be getting away scott free. I wanted to have back a somewhat normal life, my possessions and my money but I was going to be living here in this house so I-

  Adajay's hand wrapped around me and broke my thoughts, it showed on her that she wanted to know what I've been up to. I squeeze her small hands and leaned my weight on her a little, I was in love with her I thought. I shook from the realization and turn slowly in her arms, she was looking up at me questioningly and I bend kissing her before taking her to our room.

  I made passionate love to her, spreading her legs wide and giving her all of me. I felt satisfied after and I told her everything while we cuddled, she meant the world to me and I'm only now realizing it- I never want to lose her ever. I got up slowly from beside her when I heard her light breathing, I could not sleep from all the tension coursing through my body.

  "I love you so much," I whispered pecking her cheek.

  I covered her up and fitted back a pillow that had shifted from around Adalan, I took up my gun and went out to the living room where I lie down on the couch and allow my thoughts to take charge as I think of the journey ahead of me.

  Eating from what your own hands grew felt totally rewarding, callaloo steamed with okra and saltfish alongside boiled wholewheat dumplings and pressed fried green plantain. I toss my worries aside and enjoyed the meal with my hot cup of milo tea.

  Dean got ready to leave when Straight-dut came for her and his sons that afternoon, I gave her a helluva goodbye thump in her back and ran away over to Righteous's house.

  "Is a'right, mawga rass nuh care umuch food yuh eat yuh still caan get fat," she cursed.

  "Good bye stress, the boys are welcome to come back but not you," I argued with her from Righteous's verandah.

  "A dow know a wha Jay si pon yuh! Yuh mawga nuh rass!" She cursed angrily.

  Straight-dut looked at us and shook his head, we must sound like too kids bickering I thought. "Tek care yah mi fren, mi a guh miss yuh," I said comically.

  She held up her middle finger then climbed into the jeep, I came back over as they drive out and Adajay says. "Just know Dean nah fi got sey yuh lick har and get wey."

  "A shoulda thump har likkle harder, she know she a guh wey and nuh bake whole heap a somn puddung," I complained.

   Adajay snorted and a whiff of something baking caught my nostril as we went inside, she laughed and we both hasted to the oven. It was a large banana pudding with M͜͡a͜͡w͜͡g͜͡a͜͡ B͜͡a͜͡r͜͡t͜͡l͜͡e͜͡y͜͡ written on it with cashew nuts, Adajay laughed at my surprise expression and I took up my phone and text Dean.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐬.

A few seconds pass and she replied.
𝐆𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐲𝐮𝐡 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

  I looked at Adajay and hugged her, it was evident she was already missing Dean. I took her out that evening to the seafood restaurant Donique use to work and we dined together, it was so nice to just be with her and my heart pained physically knowing I'll be locked up and won't be able to even touch her.

        Adajay's pov

  The time Bartley spent away was quickly made up for when he came home nightly, his kisses, his touches, the lovemaking and the cuddles made me want to tell him to just stay wanted. I did not want him to go to jail and I as the time wined down for the show that he would be performing at before being taken in by Antoine with Righteous and Quefer, it made us all sad.

  Donique came straight here from the airport the day before the show, no one bothered her and Quefer as they stayed locked up over his house. It was my time of the month so me and Bartley cuddled together but couldn't sleep, I was going to miss him and I wonder if he had meant what he said when he whispered then peck me on my cheek several times in the last week.

  Morning came too soon and they were leaving, I talked with Righteous for a while then we hugged- the sadness showed in his eyes and sounded in his voice. It took everything in me to not start crying and when Hot-Grabba came, I walk away with Adalan to the back. I heard the car drive out and Taynia crying loudly and I forced my tears back telling myself that I needed to be strong.

None of us slept that night, we all sat on the verandah until we went inside the living room. Lance brought Donique's son mid morning and stayed with us a while as we all waited to watch the midday news on TVJ. Antoine stayed true to his word and I got the video of Bartley's performance right after the news. I connected it to to the tv so that we could all watch it and I swear that must be his best performance, but what was intriguing was the people present.

  There were police officers, members of parliament and the prime minister. Then the internet began to blow up with the news of his arrest and the video of the interview that he had done, it's like we couldn't do anything else but stuck to our phones and the tv for the remainder of the day. None of us was in the mood to cook or even eat for that matter, so when my father arrive I was more than happy when he went into the kitchen and began cooking.

  I cried that night watching Bartleys performance, he sang only two songs but his voice along with his whole demeanor spoke volumes. Why did I not see how broken he was before, I questioned myself as I try to put myself in his shoes. I cried even more, it can not be easy for him regardless of how feisty and stuck in his ways he was, he was hurting. Losing everything you had worked so hard for was painful to even think about and I know he must be bitter and sad.

  My dad took us to the fashion store Bartley had opened and we had lunch in Righteous's restaurant. The place was setup beautifully and so far everything seemed to be running efficiently in both business places. We went downstairs and my father steered us into an ice-cream parlour where he paid for what we ordered and told us it was owned by Quefer when we were on our way home.

"If I did ever know, mi nwam it dung," I said with attitude.

  "A das why mi just a tell yuh, caz him sey mi nuffi mek yuh nwam it dung," my dad said.

  "A dat him say?" I ask my dad while Taynia and Donique burst into laughter.

  My dad nodded while ginning and I swear I could hear Quefer saying it, just watch mi an' him I said in my mind wishing I was going to see him when I arrive home. My dad left that evening however he promise me that I'd be seeing him ob a regular basis as he had to help in monitoring the business places.

  I settled in a routine as we waited for Bartley's and the others trial date, they were truly missed and I hope the judge stick to the deal that they made with Antoine and none of them will do over a year. It was self defense afterall and in all truth I would not have met Bartley nor the others if he had not acted quickly, their corpses would have been rotting by now if they weren't expensively cremated. I sighed and pushed the thoughts from my mind, Adalan creeped and held unto the couch, then he let go and took two steps before rocking back and forth and dropping on his bum.

  I smiled my baby has taken his first steps.

A month later..

  As we all feared the judge did not keep whatever deal he had made with Antoine and his body was among others that began to drop like when you sprayed insects.

To be continued...